[Skill] Herbalism

[Eleret]

Article: [Skill] Herbalism Author(s): Eleret Other development: Archaeology (in review) Additional Info: HD approval here Peer Review Thread: Founder Review Thread: Synopsis: This article will fill out the Herbalism skill stub. Herbalism encompasses the recognition, preparation, and application of plant materials for medicinal purposes. It is also a required skill for working with plant-derived poisons. Outline: Related Skills Botany, Foraging, Gardening, Philtering, Medicine, Poison Tools of the Trade knife, spade/trowel/other digging tools, pots, seeds drying rack, drying shed, oven, kettle/pots mortar & pestle, spoons/cups, scales, jars/vials measurements Identifying Herbs define herb major diagnostic features of plants testing unfamiliar plants for medicinal properties Harvesting and Storing Herbs collecting parts of plants seasonal potency drying herbs Herbal Preparations infusion, decoction, syrup tincture (alcohol, vinegar) oil ointment/salve/liniment compress, poultice pill (bread, cheese, clay, resin/wax) lozenge/pastille (mallow/comfrey/elm, resin, honey) Skill Progression novice competent expert master

[Eleret]

References The New Holistic Herbal, David Hoffmann, 1986. 2e. Broad overview, classes of herbs, some preparations and techniques. The Complete Herbalist, O. Phelps Brown, 1878. Botany, classes of herbs, measurements, and various species and applications. Domestic Medicine, William Buchan and A. P. Buchan, 1825. New edition. A variety of treatments and recipes. The Family Physician and Guide to Health, Samuel North, 1830. Conditions and treatments, recipes, and various species of herbs.

[Eleret]

Article Draft Link to Proposal <introductory paragraph> Related Skills Botany is the general study of plant life, encompassing plant anatomy, life cycles and propagation, and the relationships of plants with their environments. Botany has a broader focus than herbalism, but aspects of this skill come into play when identifying generalized plant structures, distinguishing plants from one another, or determining the conditions needed to keep a cultivated plant healthy. Foraging is the gathering of resources from the wild. Foraging encompasses knowledge of the places and environments in which an herb may be found naturally, an experienced 'eye' for distinguishing an herb from its surroundings, and the techniques used for harvesting wild herbs. In contrast, Gardening is the skill of growing plants in a controlled and convenient setting. Gardening skill may cover providing proper soil, light, and moisture conditions for herbs to thrive; knowledge and methods of dealing with pests and plant diseases; propagating plants; and knowing what herbs do well (or poorly) when planted together. Philtering is required for combining and/or further processing herbal preparations. Simple preparations using single herbs, described below, fall primarily under the aegis of Herbalism. Production of complex mixtures of herbs, distillations, reductions, purifications, and the like depend upon Philtering skill as well as Herbalism. Medicine is the practice of aiding and promoting the body's ability to repair itself, and encompasses many non-herbal techniques and lore. Herbalism is required for any application of an herbal remedy in the practice of Medicine. Poison skill governs the extraction and synthesis of toxins, including those obtained from plants. Many medicinal herbs are toxic in greater doses, if treated differently, or if a different part of the plant is utilized. Herbalism is required for working with plant-derived poisons. Tools of the Trade knife, spade/trowel/other digging tools, pots, seeds drying rack, drying shed, oven, kettle/pots mortar & pestle, spoons/cups, scales, jars/vials Pounds and ounces are convenient measures for large quantities, but herbalists often need to measure much smaller amounts. Herbalist measures, listed below, are used for both solid and liquid materials. Spoons corresponding to each quantity are typically included in an herbalist's kit, while weights for use with a scale are also widely available. spoon 2 to the ounce dram 4 to the spoon, or 8 to the ounce scruple 3 to the dram, or 24 to the ounce grain 20 to the scruple, or 60 to the dram Identifying Herbs An herb is any plant with medicinal properties. Herbs may be flowering plants, vines, shrubs, trees -- there is no common outward trait by which "an herb" can be distinguished from non-therapeutic plants. Similarly, any part of a plant may be therapeutically active: leaves, roots, flowers, bark, etc. It is also possible that only specific parts of a plant can be used medicinally, that some part is therapeutic while another part is toxic, or that only certain methods of preparation unlock an herb's potential. Accordingly, identifying new herbs involves considerable trial and error. Evaluating a plant or plant part for therapeutic properties requires testing doses on a living creature, perhaps even the herbalist herself. Because medicines and toxins go hand-in-hand, caution should be used; a common practice is to begin with very small doses, taking only one dose per day, and incrementally raising the quantity over successive days until an effect is perceived or the plant is deemed inert. Strong flavors, bitterness, astringency... Harvesting and Storing Herbs Herbal Preparations Herbs may be used fresh, dried, or dried and ground, but most often, their medicinal properties are extracted or otherwise prepared before actually being applied. The simplest preparations involve a basic extraction of the herb using any of several solvents. Representative measurements and preparation times are given where appropriate, but actual recipes will vary depending on herb and desired strength. Additionally, measures are given for dried herbs; to use fresh, multiply the quantity of herb by 3. Infusion: A water-based extraction method used for any soft, non-woody material, in which boiling water is poured over the herb and allowed to steep for a short period. Alternately, for herbs which are sensitive to heat, a cold infusion can be prepared with cool water, but must steep for several bells to attain the same strength as a comparable hot infusion. Typically 1-2 drams of herb are used per 8 oz water, with 5-15 chimes steeping time. Decoction: A water-based extraction method used for woody materials, seeds, and resins, which should be cut into small pieces or powdered before preparation. Decoctions are boiled in water for a moderate period, and the herb usually strained out while still hot. Typically one spoon of herb is used per 8 oz water, with 10-15 chimes boiling time. Tincture: An extraction using alcohol or vinegar as the solvent. Tinctures are prepared by steeping herbs in the solvent for several days, usually in a warm place, shaking at least twice a day. At the end, the solution is strained. A typical recipe might use 4 oz herb in 1 pint of solvent, and steep for 14 days. Tinctures are stronger than infusions or decoctions, and generally keep longer. Syrup: A syrup is a sweetened infusion, decoction, or tincture. For water-based preparations, the sweetener can be added directly; herbs are added after the sweetener is dissolved. A vinegar syrup, termed an oxymel, is prepared similarly. For sweetening alcohol tinctures, the syrup base is prepared separately in water; this base is then mixed 3:1 with the alcohol tincture. Generally, more sweetener is needed for an alcohol-based syrup than an oxymel, and more for an oxymel than a water-based syrup. Maceration: An extraction using oil or fat as the solvent. Essential Oil: A maceration which has been purified and concentrated. Requires Philtering skill to prepare. Herbal Applications Basic herbal extracts are often combined or worked into ........ This overview covers the most typical preparations. Internal remedies Tea: The simplest of herbal medicines, a solution of extracts in water. Many infusions and decoctions may be used directly as teas, while tinctures and essential oils may be diluted in water to produce a tea. Pill: A combination of one or more dried herbs with a binder such as bread, cheese, clay, resin, or wax. Pills are generally rolled into small balls, or may be molded into a string and cut into tablets, particularly if made with clay. Lozenge: A water-soluble, often sweetened pellet which is either chewed or allowed to dissolve in the mouth. At a minimum, lozenges are made from one or more herbs, a sweetener, and water boiled and set to produce a hard candy. Thickeners such as mallow, comfrey, or slippery elm can be used to make a dough which can be rolled out, cut, and dried into lozenges. External remedies Liniment: An alcohol-based solution including one or more herbs, intended to be rubbed into the skin. Lotion, Cream, and Ointment: These are all combinations of oils and water intended for external application. Lotions contain more water and have a nearly fluid consistency, and may contain alcohol. Creams are composed of roughly equal amounts of water and oil, while ointments contain much more fat than water and are the most viscous. These may be created either by grinding herbs into the prepared base, or by melting all the materials together in a pot. Philtering skill is required for these preparations. Salve: A fat-based preparation generally applied to the skin. A typical salve is made by combining macerations of one or more herbs with beeswax or another solid fat until it reaches the desired consistency. Salves may also be made from essential oils dissolved into a similar combination of wax, fat, and/or oil. Philtering skill is required to make salves. Poultice and Compress: A poultice is a mass of herbs, of one kind or several mixed together, which is generally moistened and applied to the body surface. Poultices may be heated, and are secured with a bandage. A compress follows the same principle, but consists of a cloth soaked in a liquid preparation (e.g. infusion, tincture, diluted essential oil). Skill Progression Novice A novice herbalist learns to recognize and apply herbs commonly found in their domain. They most often use previously-prepared fresh or dry material to make simple preparations, though may begin learning to harvest herbs for themselves. Novices typically work from established, tried-and-true recipes which are common knowledge, passed on by a more experienced herbalist, or found in a common herbal tome. Competent A competent herbalist is very familiar with the uses of common herbs in their area, and broaden their repertoire to include uncommon species, including common imports from other regions. They experiment with recipes, tailoring proportions to the situation, replacing one herb with another, developing a personalized collection of go-to remedies. Competent herbalists frequently grow or harvest their own herbs, in the process developing a general understanding of what growing environments and processing conditions may promote or retard their potency. Expert An expert herbalist is familiar with common, uncommon, and rare herbs of their domain. Master